COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, 13 November 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

A Weekly Supplement of 11 columns is given with this issue of the Mail. A dribbling shower of stones has fallen at Kaiapoi. People arc puzzled to know where they come from. New Zealand Oats are in active demand at Melbourne, at a farther advance. Mr Eallance, M.H.R., paid a short visit to Patea this week. He is favorably impressed with the harbor works. Cattle on the Waimate Plains are causing trouble. Some new settlers are putting stock on the land before fencing their sections. Sir Julius Vooel is shipping to this colony a number of books to be distributed at the schools as prizes for a special examination. The charge for carriage of timber by rail is reduced 3d per hundred feet. This applies only to timber railed for export. Diphtheria continues prevalent in Christchurch district, the result of bad drainage or foul wells. Some schools have had to be closed till the infection abates. Customs "Revenue for the year ended March last was £16,510 at Wanganui, at a cost of £3 12s 61 per cent, for collection ; Foxton £366, at a cost of £6B 17s per cent, for collection ; New Plymouth £8,649, at cost of £4 14s 3d per cent, for collection; Wellington £142,099, at a cost of £2 11s 9d for collection. The disqualification of Mata, a New Zealand, horse by the Racing Club of Yictoria is to lead to an action at law. It is reported that Mr Vallance intends suing the stewards for damages, but he has not done so yet.

A County Rate of sixpence in the pound is notified by advertisement, A dissolution of Parliament in New South. Wales is announced. News from Noumea reports another attack on the cutter Idaho by natives in canoes. All the crew were massacred except three. About twenty thousand persons paid for entrance to the agricultural show at Christchurch ou Wednesday. A largo number of passengers arrived from London in the ship Timaru, now at Port Chalmers. Ax Earthquake in Austria, near the south-east border, has caused much havoc in the town of Wagram. Tho cable message does net state the loss of life. Major Kemp has really made a demonstration ou the newly purchased Kaitangiwheuna block. He wants to be bribed into a sort of respect for the decision of the Land Court. His fixing up of boundary posts may lead to no harm, as the land cannot be used % present. Cricket. —A letter has been received from Mr Alexander, stating that the Australian team are anxious to visit New Zealand, playing two or three days in each of the principal towns, if suitable terms can bo arranged, their leave having been extended. J? Confidence in the colony’s credit is shown by the rise in quotations for N.Z. stocks in the London market. The 10-40 loan has advanced to 102, being a gain of 1 on this stock; and confidence in this investment cannot have been shaken much when it has continued to change hands at prices above par. The Sultan of Turkey has telegraphed to the Great Powers that the surrender of the coast town of Dulcigno to Montenegro is “ expected to he made immediately.” The Great Powers must have heard that story in official language twenty times before. Bnt the Turk is the most easy-going animal in Europe. Ho is never in a hurry. Merchants in Russia are raising the prices of food to famine rates, and in fact a famine prevails in a largo portion of the vast area of Russia. The Government is trying to regulate prices, a futile notion which must be impracticable even in a despotic country. Some merchants are threatened with exile to the Siberian mines unless they consent to sell at lower rates. The Execution of Kei.lv, the Australian bushranger, took place on Thursday. Only officials and reporters were admitted inside the gaol to witness the last act of the law, and the scene passed off quietly, the condemned man making no demonstration on the scaffold. Kelly had sympathisers to the last, A large public meeting was held in Melbourne to get up a petition for his reprieve; and several smaller petitions were presented to the Government up to the day of the execution. Trade Protection Societies are a desirable form of co-operation among traders in colonial towns. Credit is allowed too freely, and there is too much hesitation in pressing for settlement at reasonable intervals. Long credits are generally worse than no trade; and judging by complaints among traders in this district, there is room for a Trade Protection Society, A society has been formed at Blenheim, with these objects: “The procuring and dissemination, among members only, of such information as can be procured relative to the commercial status and probity of persons under enquiry ; the prevention of fraudulent trading; to examine into bankruptcies, and, if necessary, assist in the prosecution of fraudulent debtors; to endeavor to bring the present abuse of the credit system into more systematic and limited form; and such* other objects as shall from time to time / be considered desirable, and carried by a majority of members present at an ordinary meeting, after one month’s notice of intention to make suck addition has been given.”

Melbourne has had a review of 3000 volunteers and 9000 seamen in the port. The Match on the Patea Cricket Ground is likely to draw numerous spectators this afternoon, if the weather be favourable. The Waverley eleven w ill meet the Patea team at 1.30.

Big Horses have been tried by the London City Corporation for scavenging work, none under 17 hands ; but a short experience showed that horses of 16 hands did more work, and were less subject to “ roaring ” than the bigger animals.

A large find of gold is reported from Otago. A party of three got three pounds weight of gold in six weeks at Hindon. An Auckland telegram says five specimens of gold have been forwarded from Te Aroha, Waikato, weighing 10 ounces to the pound. Manawatu is agitating for a resident member in place of Mr Johnston, who resides outside the district. Mr D. H, Macarthur, chairman of the County Council, is spoken of as a candidate who will run at the next election. Mr Halcombo is also expected to offer himself again.

Mu Proctor has been invited to lecture at New Plymouth. Could ho not also give ns a night at each township as he goes through ? He asked for a guarantee of £7O for two lectures, and this was promptly given. Mr Proctor will leci*!^ 5 at Nelson next week, and will bo at New Plymouth the week following.

One of the jury who found the Chinaman guilty of the Kycburn murder has become insane, and is in the asylum at Dunedin. He fancies ho committed the murder, and that the police are after him. This man owns a piece of land adjoining the house where Mrs Young was murdered.

Stratford Sections.— The Land Board at Taranaki has resolved u That the unsold sections of land within the township of Stratford be offered for sale by auction for lease at a rental of 3s bd per acre in lots, such land being of special value on account of improvements thereon, the land being laid down in English grass.” The sections arc to be sold in December. Noaire. —At the last meeting of the Taranaki Laud Board, a letter was read from Mr Ayling asking if it was the intention of the Board to open for selection the remaining portion of block 14, Ngaire. He stated that there wore a great many persons like himself who preferred the bush land to the open plains, and that if the block was offered it would meet with a ready sale. The chairman was instructed to reply that the land was not under the control of the Board. Miss Colesby bought a section at Waitara from the Laud Board, paying a deposit. She then went to sec the land, and could only find that it is somewhere in a large swamp which no lady can be expected to go into. She has asked the Land Board to refund the instalment paid on the section, and the Board replies, with proper official politeness, that it will stick to the money. Miss Colesby should have inspected before buying. If the particular section were officially represented to her as being what she finds it is not, the Land Board ought to refund ; but apparently the fault is her own. Several New Steamers arc being built at Dunedin for colonial trade. The Boogum has just been finished for the Union Company, and another of 300 tons carrying capacity is building to trade with Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport, and Wanganui. It will be cheering to see a steamer of that tonnage getting over the mud-flats at Wanganui. A third steamer is to run between Westport and the East Coast; to carry 500 tons on a draught of lift Sin. Other steamers are to be built of steel, L and will somewhat resemble the Boognm; one te-to tender the Waitaki at Whangarei, and trade between that port and .Waipu.; another is to tender .the Company’s steamships at Gisborne; and the third to be employed in tendering the Waitaki, at Taurangu, and keep up communication between that place and Opotiki.

Mrs Jones, of the Glenrowau Hotol, in which the Kelly gang mot their death, has been arrested for harbouring theKellys. Mr Cowern will sell to-day a large quantity of furniture, at his warehouse; also the privileges of the Patea race meeting. Mr Dale announces a large sale of fornitnre to-day at Mr Arthur’s warehouse; and at a later hour a sale of furniture and sundries at his auction mart. Space for wool exhibits at the Crystal Palace, London, is to be reserved for Now Zealand exhibitors. They must pay freight to London, and the AgentGeneral will there take charge of exhibits. A Banquet has been held at Auckland to celebrate the election of Alderman M'Arthnr as Lord Mayor of Loudon, It was given by the Auckland firm of which “ his lordship ” is the head, and was attended by 200 guests. Boats Jbuilt of paper arc causing a sensation in London. Riley and Co. have tried paper boats on the Thames, and they are found to be much lighter and swifter than wooden boats, but are suitable only for racing. The “ paper” is pressed pulp, like very thick cardboard. The Attorney General, Mr Whitaker, maJo a. speech tit an -A.iidvin.ncl dinner on Tuesday, in which he said general retrenchment and non-borrowing must be the policy of the colony for some time to come. He was positively ashamed to hear the word “repudiation.” He had been forty years in the Colony and was in a position to say that it' could meet its obligations. The Banks at Patea, Hawera, and Norruauby advertise that Friday next will bo observed as a holiday, this being j the day of the Patea race meeting.' Though the stakes ottered by the Jockey Club are not largo, the entries 1 arc sufficient to promise a good day’s sport; while there is a general inclination on the part of the local public to regard the Race-day as an agreeable form of holiday. The muster of spectators is likely to be very largo, and the “ meeting” will be a success in that respect if only the weather be pleasant.